(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an endoscope, in particular a resectoscope, for excising tissue, in prostate resection for example, having a barrel which is insertable into a body cavity, for conveying irrigating liquid and for carrying a working element which can be actuated from the proximal end of the endoscope and whose field of activity can be monitored visually through an endoscope telescope connected to the proximal end of the endoscope.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
With resectoscopes of this kind, quite large amounts of irrigating liquid are usually needed, particularly for flushing out the pieces of tissue which have been excised. The procedure adopted for this is, once a given amount of tissue has been excised, for the working element to be withdrawn from the barrel of the endoscope which has been inserted into the body cavity, so that the excised pieces of tissue and the irrigating liquid can then be extracted from the body cavity through the relatively large cross-section of the barrel.
When manipulating the resectoscope, there is usually no way of preventing the irrigating liquid from getting onto the face of the operator who is carrying out the endoscopic operation and following it through the telescope, because at the proximal end of the resectoscope, the liquid is allowed to drain away freely into a suitable collecting container. Not only does the operator find this sort of contact with the irrigating liquid unpleasant and very much of a nuisance, but there is also a major risk of AIDS and/or hepatitis viruses being transmitted by the contact. The viruses can then find their way into the blood through the mucous membrances of the eyes, nose and mouth and produce the relevant disease.
To prevent infection of this kind or to reduce the risk of infection, transparent protective masks are worn over the face. However, because they are not very comfortable for the wearer and because air does not circulate well behind them, face masks of this kind are a very great nuisance to wear. In the same way, eyeshields and mouth guards help to reduce the risk of infection but are equally unable to rule it out completely. Another reason why ancillaries of this kind are disliked is because they are found to have a distracting influence when the operation is being performed.
The main object of the present invention is to provide the operator performing an endoscopic operation with reliable protection against the risk of infection from irrigating liquid which is splashed about, without the need for him or her to put on ancillaries which are an encumbrance or create a nuisance of some other kind.